The author, Miss Manners, expresses frustration that her friends and family often don't give her a knife for dinner at dinner with their friends and extended family. Despite her husband and wife's frequent dinners with these hosts, these hosts have only provided forks when they set the table. Despite these hosts' understanding of not using spoons, she finds it strange not to have a knife and always wants a knife. She suggests that etiquette is not required to engage with these people endlessly and that etiquette does not require them to respond to unsolicited sales pitches. The author also notes that college students are often approached by evangelists for various causes, not only religious or political, but political.